Wednesday, September 28, 2011

El Al: No Shana Tova for you

This wasn't the post I was planning to write, but this is something that is going to affect a lot of us very soon, so it's time to get the ball rolling on a community response.

Usually when I get emails like this telling me about some new company policy that is going to screw the public I delete it and tell the person to look at Snopes to learn the truth.

This one was almost no exception, except that the person who originally sent it, is someone in the know when it comes to flying El Al, so I decided to check it out.

Under their current policy (that they modified around 2 years ago), economy class passengers could take 2 bags of 50 pounds each (down from the original 70 pounds). If you needed to take 70 pounds the extra charge was still in the acceptable range (ignoring the high ticket price).OLD POLICY

All passengers (except infants*)OL

Destination

First Class

Business Class

Economy Class

All destinationsexcept North America

Up to 40 kg(88 pound)

Up to 30 kg(66 pound)

Up to 23 kg(50.6 pound)

North Americandestinations and Brazil

Up to 4 pieces,weighing upto 32 kg/piece(70.5 pound)

Up to 3 pieces,weighingup to 32 kg/piece(70.5 pound)

Up to 2 pieces, weighingup to 23 kg/piece(50.6 pound)

Eilat

-

-

Up to 20 Kg(44 pound)

But starting November 1 all that will change for the much worse. Another way to phrase it is El Al will be introducing a new price gouging policy.

Who cares what other airlines do? El Al is now implementing a policy that is bad for it's consumers. If you like being hit on your head by the neighborhood bully - because all the bullies do that- I can't help you too much.

It would be one thing if they were going to drop the prices on the tickets by the same amount, but obviously they won't.

They know that the majority of their coach customers need the two bags. How else to get all the stuff you buy at Target and Costco back to the Holey in your Wallet Land?

Consider that for the typical Israeli traveling, round trip tickets to America for a family of four are already more than a months household salary and hopefully this will raise enough ire from the public to get El Al to back down (it worked for Tnuva).

In the meantime I'm booking my winter flights now - as I think the policy starts with bookings - not flights - beginning nov. 1